Although still very much in existence, two meter repeaters are showing signs of dying out. Some frequency pairs are still under coordination but are unused with the machines off the air, simply because nobody uses them anymore.

I recently got back into amateur radio and it seems like around here, the repeaters have taken to having a lot of nets about various stuff. Here's a list that one club here has. The other major repeater in my area is the one that does Newsline every Sunday, and that seems to be all they do as far as I know (I've been busy trying to get my HF setup working to my satisfaction in my condo, so I haven't been listening to the repeaters much).

IMO, I don't think 2 meter repeaters will completely die out because of their usefulness in emergency situations, but they're going to have to add value in other ways to stick around. There'll be a lot fewer, but much stronger too.

Already the FCC is considering stripping us of 70cm and out sourcing it to companies for business. So use it people for the many various modes or don't complain about it if it gets taken away because it's not being used.

...Already the FCC is considering stripping us of 70cm and out sourcing it to companies for business. So use it people for the many various modes or don't complain about it if it gets taken away because it's not being used....

Whether you're kidding or not, that won't happen. The primary user of those frequencies are the military, radar systems, both early warning and others plus direction finding and position locating uses. Ham radio is secondary on those frequencies. To 'sell' them off for use to other companies/businesses, the NTIA would have to allow it--and they're not about to. The only ones that could have us get off those frequencies ARE the military, as they've done around Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Northern California. Other than that, the 440 mhz band is pretty safe.

It's important to remember that clubs aren't the hobby. Unfortunately a lot of local clubs are obsessed with politics and cliques but that is true of any hobby club not just ham radio. Going on HF and forgetting the 2m world is the best thing you can do. I tried getting involved in a club but felt unwelcome from day one so I didn't go back. I haven't been on 2m in 2 years. I've enjoyed the hobby much more since then!

I'm sure I'll catch some kind of flack from this,but I only speak from the experience I've had thus far.First off I don't need comments on a misspelling or improper punctuation,now that's out of the way.I'm sure there are some very nice hams out there and this doesn't apply to all,but I have had a very poor intro to the hobby here in Missouri,basically my ham radio equipment has become glorified police scanners with me checking into a net once in a while to make sure I can still transmit.Seems if you don't know someone or aren't Joe Schmo's son people on the air locally are downright unfriendly and it seems anytime I've ever gotten a decent conversation started with what sounded like new blood like myself other locals get on and muscle there way onto the repeater with there "tea chat" I understand that we all have rights to talk its just the manner and the timing,and another one of my favorites is how unknowledgable some of the so called "elmers" will be with newbies and tell you 'oh I don't know about those radios" or "I don't know about that issue" and then a miracle happens.........the next day or week you hear this same person you asked a question to become a expert on the device or situation to his or her pals.Isn't this about friendly communication? I mean nobody has to be my friend but a little common courtesy would be appreciated.

I always question posts like this where the person posting does not give his/her call. Critical or whining posts that are anonymous should not be taken seriously. If the person making the post was really serious, they would have given a call and a name and not "MRDUDE" or whatever. These anonymous posts should simply be ignored.

I dropped out of the local club a year ago. Why ? Nothing much in common with the members. No dx'ers or cw ops (not even one) in the club. Its a social group that interacts via 2m instead of facebook. k5jyd

I remember the first club I checked out. The guys had more yellow lights on their cars then a swat team, a few even came in wearing their yellow vests. I think the term is 'whackers' I went to the first meeting and never went back, even let them keep my $10 memebership fee. Figure they could use it for more yellow lights and vests. I did find a club without whackers, keep looking you will find a match!

MRDUDE: If you have a ham callsign you are already a member of an exclusive club, an Amateur Radio operator. You will find that most will welcome you, offer support and just be generally friendly once you leave the small 2M world you are trapped in. Explore HF and you will see another side to the hobby. Why not start your own 10 meter rag chew "club"? The only ham club I ever joined was back in high school when I needed to feel acceptance among my peers. That was a long time ago. This hobby is what YOU make of it, not anyone else.

I gave up on the whole local club and 'repeater scene' LONG ago in the early 90's.

Get on HF and make some contacts, forget about that 2 meter fm stuff. just a bunch of cliques on there and really boring activity. I'm sure people will disagree, but to me, that isn't what this hobby is about.

Everybody I know who has got out of the hobby were people who's only exposure to the hobby was 2 meter fm. I'm sure if they were chasing dx on 40 instead, they'd still be in the hobby.

More More!!! This is one of funniest fourms I have read in a long time!!

Oh yea its about clubs right?? Tried it and didnt like it the first time, nor the 2nd or 3rd time. Just am not into the club scene. I like to tinker and build dodads, so I play on HF a lot. VHF/UHF not so much. But I have built a few repeaters just because it was fun!!

I remember the first club I checked out. The guys had more yellow lights on their cars then a swat team, a few even came in wearing their yellow vests. I think the term is 'whackers' I went to the first meeting and never went back, even let them keep my $10 memebership fee. Figure they could use it for more yellow lights and vests. I did find a club without whackers, keep looking you will find a match!

ThxBart

Ha, this is hilarious! The club I visited looked like the testing ground for Pabst Blue Ribbon. Guys rolling in with tiny cars with coils and antennas growing out of every piece of sheetmetal....pickups that barely ran yet had more digital displays in the cab than would be found in a Boeing 757....cliquish groups that most people wouldn't want to be part of if there was a squirrel to talk to as an alternative. Everyone had one or two HT's hanging off their pants.

I don't plan on giving up so easily,I am going for my general to get into HF and dxing and have had some pleasant and interesting experiences just leaving echolink run on my phone or pc for a while and a random person from many of locations have struck up a conversation, . . .

I remember the first club I checked out. The guys had more yellow lights on their cars then a swat team, a few even came in wearing their yellow vests. I think the term is 'whackers' I went to the first meeting and never went back, even let them keep my $10 memebership fee. Figure they could use it for more yellow lights and vests. I did find a club without whackers, keep looking you will find a match!

ThxBart

Ha, this is hilarious! The club I visited looked like the testing ground for Pabst Blue Ribbon. Guys rolling in with tiny cars with coils and antennas growing out of every piece of sheetmetal....pickups that barely ran yet had more digital displays in the cab than would be found in a Boeing 757....cliquish groups that most people wouldn't want to be part of if there was a squirrel to talk to as an alternative. Everyone had one or two HT's hanging off their pants.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose!

A word of advice: if your just checking out a club drive through the parking lot before going inside. If you see cars with yellow flashing lights on the roof along with a dozen antennas sticking out all over, keep driving ! Yellow lights and numerous antennas = WHACKERS, just keep driving

There are clubs and there are clubs. I know one that is very interesting in that most of the members seemingly don't get on the air very much. It's a rather static organization, the average members age is pretty high and bringing in new blood does not happen very much.

I know another club that has an entirely different dynamic, they are all about operating and have several well respected contest operators amongst 'em. It makes for an entirely different experience.

There are contest clubs and public service oriented clubs also, so maybe it's just finding a good fit, or not bothering. Once you are on HF, a local club is not as critical, but having an elmer or two can be nice.

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